“To Arkle’s eyes, I must have looked like a god who stopped his pain… I completely understand.”

She would have felt the same.

‘It’s entirely possible to mistake that wonder for love.’

Arkle, who had been quietly listening to her words, slowly opened his mouth.

“You’re certainly right about that. Every time you reached out your hand to calm my magical resonance… I thought, so this is the face of a god.”

He muttered, laughing softly as if finding his own thoughts amusing.

“And I don’t even believe in gods.”

“I know. Arkle doesn’t believe in anything.”

“……”

“Then how can you believe your feelings for me are love?”

It wasn’t a reproach, but genuine curiosity.

The Arkle she knew wouldn’t speak with such certainty about an intangible emotion like ‘love’.

Sure enough, Arkle carefully opened his mouth.

“…To borrow His Highness Heinrich’s words, I too don’t know much about what love is.”

Arkle, who had spoken with his gaze lowered as if confessing a secret, raised his head and looked directly at her.

His voice, which had been soft, had become firm.

“But I felt more ecstatic seeing your ordinary smile than when you looked like a god while healing me.”

“……”

“When you got angry for my sake at the banquet, I was happy.”

“……”

“At least I know these feelings aren’t faith. And as I said… I don’t believe in gods.”

Arkle rose from his seat and approached her.

“As you said, I believed in nothing. But if you give me a chance, I’d like to dare believe that my feelings for you… are love.”

Arkle carefully took her hand and gently kissed the back of it.

Although he said he didn’t believe in gods, it was as sacred as a devotee kissing a deity.

“Would that be alright?”

“……”

After thinking for a moment, she slowly opened her mouth.

“Then… be honest with me.”

At her words, Arkle raised his head and looked up at her.

“You remember what I always say? I like when you’re honest.”

“I remember.”

“Then be honest with me. I want to see it.”

She couldn’t see her own expression, but her eyes were probably shining with delight.

To be honest, she hadn’t completely sorted this situation out in her head.

But there was one thing she knew for certain: this was the first time she had seen Arkle trying so hard and desperately to convey something.

‘And if this desperation is truly directed at me….’

She grabbed Arkle’s face with both hands and pulled him close to her.

“If you really love me, show me everything. Understand? How much you love me, how it feels, everything. I want to see it all.”

Arkle, who had been looking at her with wide eyes, smiled.

“Alright. Then you’ll be able to believe me.”

“Show me a face that makes me have no choice but to believe you love me. Then I’ll believe you.”

With her forehead pressed against his, Arkle whispered with a smile.

“Understood. It might be a bit embarrassing, but I’ll show you everything.”

Contrary to his words, he didn’t look embarrassed. He looked happy.

Until now, she had thought that aside from his power, Arkle was the most normal among the three Cayenne siblings. But looking at him in this moment, she thought that perhaps he might be the craziest of them all.

Well, what did it matter?

‘I’ve always preferred the mentally unhinged types anyway.’

And so we stood with our faces close together, looking at each other and smiling.

❖ ❖ ❖

Upon returning to the Cayenne mansion, Lize immediately went to Martha to report that the situation had been resolved well.

Martha let out a brief sigh of relief and thanked Lize, who responded with a faint smile before heading straight to her bedroom.

“Wake me if anything happens, Arkle.”

“Yes, wife.”

Only after making him promise several times to wake her if another unexpected situation arose did Lize close the bedroom door with a long yawn.

Arkle smiled at her as she closed the door and went in.

Although he had agreed because Lize had made him promise several times to wake her, he had no intention of waking her unless the empire was about to collapse or something equally dire happened.

‘You need to rest.’

After staring at the door for a moment, Arkle turned away.

He decided to handle all matters related to the film opening in a few hours so that she could rest peacefully, even if just for a while.

But before that….

Entering his study, Arkle stood in front of the mirror.

“……”

Since he had almost forgotten the existence of mirrors and had rarely stood in front of one voluntarily, his reflection looked unfamiliar.

A man with black hair, red eyes, and a dark impression.

“Show me a face that makes me have no choice but to believe you love me. Then I’ll believe you.”

“……”

Arkle looked at himself in the mirror and tried to lift the corners of his mouth.

“…Terrible.”

When he looked at Lize, his lips would curl up before he even realized it, but trying to smile at his own face felt so awkward.

Still not giving up, he tried once more to lift the corners of his mouth, trembling with effort.

This time, he also tried to crinkle his eyes.

But his face in the mirror looked like he wanted to murder someone rather than love them.

“Haah……”

A sense of self-loathing overwhelmed Arkle as he wondered what he was doing.

Feeling increasingly pathetic, he swept his hand over his face and let out a short sigh.

He should stop this foolish behavior and get to work.

Even as he thought that, Lize’s words wouldn’t leave his ears, and he couldn’t move away from the mirror.

He had told Lize in front of the prince that she didn’t need to say anything, but now thinking that she might believe his feelings….

‘I want to hear it.’

He couldn’t stop himself from wanting to hear her say she believed his feelings, and perhaps… that she felt the same way.

“……”

Just imagining it made his head feel like a mess.

With a strange feeling, Arkle covered his mouth with one hand.

His head felt hot.

If he could really hear such words….

He clenched his fist.

He, who had never desperately wished for anything, was making a resolution for the first time in his life.

‘I will… I will definitely succeed.’

He reverently raised both hands and pulled up the corners of his mouth with his fingers.

He would definitely find a face that would make her believe he loved her.

“…Ha, haha.”

He tried to make the gentlest laughing sound while crinkling his eyes.

Just as he was desperately contorting his face, thinking that with a little more effort he might succeed—

“Master, I’ve brought the documents you requested. Also, all theaters at the ‘Cayenne Theater’ are full—”

Juan, who had entered with documents, stopped when he saw Arkle in front of the mirror.

“……”

“Oh… you were looking in the mirror. …Should I come back later?”

“……”

“I’m sorry, the door was open… I’ll leave right away.”

“…It’s fine.”

Arkle, who had been standing stiffly, almost snatched the documents from Juan and sat at his desk.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he calmly asked.

“So, the Cayenne Theater is full.”

“—Ah, yes. That’s what they say.”

Juan, who had been desperately trying to remember what he was going to say, quickly answered.

“I thought as much. My wife did an excellent job with the promotion.”

“It’s still a major topic in high society.”

“Yes. I’ll handle the rest.”

Arkle spoke matter-of-factly and began reading the documents calmly.

“……”

Juan, who had been quietly observing Arkle, adjusted his glasses and carefully began to speak.

“…Um, Master. Just now.”

But he immediately closed his mouth. Arkle had looked up at him with a murderous gaze.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I won’t disturb you, I’m sorry.”

“Good.”

Only after Juan hastily corrected himself did Arkle take his eyes off him and answer with satisfaction.

“Please let me know if you need anything, ahaha.”

Juan laughed, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.

‘Just now… he was definitely looking in the mirror, right?’

There was no doubt about it.

In all his time serving Arkle, this was the first time he had seen him standing in front of a mirror.

And he had been desperately practicing facial expressions.

‘Why… is he trying to scare someone?’

Is he developing a new t*rture method?

It’s not like he’s Young Master Naran, who would have such a hobby.

‘I should be more careful with my behavior from now on….’

Just as Juan was reflecting on his conduct, feeling inexplicably chilled—

“Juan.”

“Huh, yes, yes?”

When Arkle suddenly called him, Juan thought his heart would stop.

Arkle, seemingly unaware of Juan’s reaction, asked impassively.

“To express emotions well on one’s face… what should I do?”

“Pardon?”

Juan looked at his master while adjusting his glasses.

Arkle was serious.

“As you know, I don’t have many expressions.”

“Yes.”

“I want to practice expressing emotions through facial expressions. Can you help me?”

Though his words were asking for help, the atmosphere made it almost an order.

“Ah… understood.”

“Good. Then first, how does this smile look?”

Arkle smiled(?) at Juan.

It was utterly terrifying.

Juan had to make an effort to manage his own expression.

‘At this rate, it’s not the master who’s practicing expressions, but me….’

Despite Juan’s thoughts, Arkle continued his practice regardless.

❖ ❖ ❖

At the same time.

“Impossible…!!”

Baron Clark crumpled the letter from First Prince Heinrich.

The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he clutched the crumpled letter.

“D*mn it……”

The letter stated that the imperial family recognized the marriage between Lize Allenheim and Arkle Cayenne.

His protest had actually made their marriage even stronger.

“…Lize Allenheim……”

The baron murmured her name with his head bowed.

He would not give up like this.